Low Allan-Deviation oscillator

ABSTRACT

An oscillator includes a resonator, sustaining circuit and detector circuit. The sustaining circuit receives a sense signal indicative of mechanically resonant motion of the resonator generates an amplified output signal in response. The detector circuit asserts, at a predetermined phase of the amplified output signal, one or more control signals that enable an offset-reducing operation with respect to the sustaining amplifier circuit.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application hereby claims priority to and incorporates by reference U.S. provisional application No. 62/537,453 filed Jul. 26, 2017.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure herein relates to timing signal generation.

DRAWINGS

The various embodiments disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a resonator-based oscillator in which 1/f corner reduction circuitry may be deployed;

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an auto-zeroing sustaining amplifier that may be deployed as the sustaining amplifier in FIG. 1 to yield low Allan-Deviation performance;

FIG. 3 illustrates the ϕ1, ϕ2 signal assertion overlaid with the resonator output, demonstrating the synchronous nature of the auto-zeroing operation in the FIG. 2 embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative implementation of a synchronous auto-zeroing sustaining amplifier, in this case having a capacitor C2 placed in the feedback path between amplifier output and input;

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative approach in which parallel inverting amplifiers are operated in pipelined fashion to provide a seamless or relatively seamless output; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary zero-crossing waveform showing the balanced switching of the ϕ1 and ϕ2 control signals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Resonator-based oscillators having reduced 1/f noise corners are disclosed in various embodiments herein. In a number of implementations, the 1/f noise corner frequency (f_(C)) is lowered by active mitigation or canceling of a time-varying offset within a sustaining amplifier—an offset cancellation/reduction that lowers the 1/f noise corner from ˜5 KHz to less than 10 Hz in some embodiments, and to less than 1 or 2 Hertz in other embodiments, in either case reducing near phase noise (phase noise at low frequency) of the resonator-based oscillator by 20 to 30 dB or more relative to conventional resonator-based oscillators.

FIG. 1 illustrates a resonator-based oscillator in which 1/f corner reduction circuitry may be deployed. In the exemplary two-die implementation shown, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonator 102 is implemented in a first “MEMS” die 101 and circuitry for driving the MEMS resonator into mechanically resonant motion (i.e., “actuating” the resonator), sensing the resonator motion and producing a timing signal/clock signal (CLK) based on the sensed motion is disposed in a separate “circuit” die 103. The MEMS die and circuit die may be packaged together in various multi-die package configurations (e.g., side-by-side or stacked packages), including configurations in which the circuit die defines part of a resonator-encapsulating chamber. Also, other types of resonators may be used (quarts, inductor, thermal or resistor-based resonators) may be used

The MEMS die depicted in FIG. 1 includes a voltage-biased electrostatic resonator. A sustaining amplifier 105 within circuit die 103 drives a time-varying signal at one or more “drive” electrodes 106 disposed in proximity to the resonator (mechanically resonant structure) receives an input signal via one or more “sense” electrodes 108 also disposed in proximity to the resonator. In a number of embodiments, the drive and sense electrodes are disposed adjacent opposite resonator amplitudes (i.e., maximum positive and negative displacements from neutral or resting position). The sense and drive electrodes are configured so that they can transduce motion to sense current or voltage (the sense side), and transduce voltage or current to force (the drive side). Various MEMS resonators can be used. In the exemplary embodiment, an electrostatic resonator is shown. The invention also works with other resonators, e.g. piezoelectric, or thermal. Or indeed for non-MEMS resonators such as quartz crystals, or electrical resonators such as inductor-capacitor tanks (LC) tanks.

An output also delivered, as the amplified resonator signal, to an optional clock multiplying circuit (an integer-N or fractional-N PLL 109 in this instance) to produce a frequency-multiplied output clock (i.e., resonator output multiplied by N). Optional output driver 115 delivers the output clock to other circuitry disposed within the circuit die and/or one or more other integrated circuit dies. Biasing circuit 107 establishes a known bias voltage on the resonant MEMS structure thus enabling a controlled electrostatic potential between the MEMS die and drive signal. For example, if the drive signal swings between ground and VDD supply rail potentials, the MEMS resonator may be biased at VDD/2 to yield balanced electrostatic attraction and repulsion (i.e., between the resonator and the drive electrode, the latter being implemented within a non-moving field area of the MEMS die) during opposite phases of the drive cycle.

FIG. 1 also illustrates three classes of oscillators distinguished by spectral relation between Leeson integration corner (201 output frequency divided by twice the quality factor, f₀/2Q) and 1/f noise corner (f_(C)) with class distinctions effected primarily through changes in sustaining amplifier implementation. In the type I oscillator, a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) inverter forms the core of the sustaining amplifier. The inverter exhibits a time-varying input offset that yields a 1/f noise corner at approximately 5 KHz (1 KHz to 10 KHz typical) well beyond the ˜100 Hz Leeson integration frequency. In the type II oscillator, an inverting amplifier implemented with bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) exhibits a 1/f corner generally approaching or meeting the Leeson integration corner (˜100 Hz) and substantially lower near phase-noise than the type I implementation. To achieve type III operation (1/f corner is substantially below the Leeson integration frequency), circuitry is provided in conjunction with a CMOS or BJT amplifier to actively mitigate (reduce, cancel or eliminate) the time-varying input offset—an approach that yields a 1/f corner below 10 Hz (or even below 2 Hz or 1 Hz) and the lowest near phase-noise for a given resonator.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an auto-zeroing sustaining amplifier that may be deployed as the sustaining amplifier in FIG. 1 to yield type III oscillator performance (i.e., exceedingly low near phase-noise and thus low Allan Deviation). In the depicted implementation, a zero-crossing detection circuit detects passage of the resonator through the neutral point (rest point midway between the extreme positions in the resonator swing), asserting controls signal ϕ1 and ϕ2 at predetermined instants relative to the rising-edge and falling-edge zero-crossings and thus synchronously with respect to resonator oscillation. In one embodiment, the zero-crossing detector is implemented by a chain of inverters coupled to receive the sinusoidal resonator output (e.g., at the output of inverting amplifier 201 which may be implemented as shown in FIG. 1), with each inverter in the chain yielding a steeper (more square-wave like) output slew than its predecessor and the final inverter producing a square wave with a rising edge that transpires shortly after the ascending zero-crossing of the resonator signal and a falling edge shortly after the descending zero-crossing. Additional resonators may be provided within the chain to implement a multi-tap delay line (e.g., in an open loop or closed loop, the latter being a delay-locked loop), with selected inverter outputs providing complementary ϕ1 and ϕ2 signals. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, for example, the zero-crossing detector asserts ϕ1 for an interval that spans both the rising-edge and falling-edge zero crossings (deasserting ϕ2 during that interval) and then asserts ϕ2 (and deasserts ϕ1) for an interval that commences following the falling-edge zero crossing and concludes prior to the rising-edge zero crossing, thus ensuring that the amplifier delivers a valid drive-signal output to both the resonator and the zero-crossing detector during the positive phase of the resonator signal (while the resonator is nearer the drive electrode than the sense electrode) and both zero crossings. To avoid glitch, a brief time delay may be instituted between deassertion of ϕ1 and assertion of ϕ2 (and/or vice-versa) so that the two control signals are not perfect complements.

Still referring to FIG. 2, the ϕ1 and ϕ2 signals effect sequential signal-amplification and offset-zeroing operations with respect to inverting amplifier 201 during each resonator cycle. More specifically, throughout the positive half-period of the resonator cycle (i.e., while the resonator is nearer the drive electrode than the sense electrode), ϕ1 is asserted to close switch 203 (e.g., implemented by one or more CMOS transistors) while ϕ2 is deasserted to open switches 205 and 207. During a portion of the negative half-period of the resonator cycle (i.e., following the descending zero-crossing and prior to the subsequent ascending zero-crossing, while the resonator is nearer the sense electrode than the drive electrode), ϕ1 is deasserted to decouple the amplifier from the sense electrode (opening switch 203), while ϕ2 is asserted to close switches 205 and 207. In this configuration, the input node of capacitor C1 is quieted (e.g., grounded) while the amplifier output is fed back to the amplifier input to zero any DC offset—a zeroing that, if carried out frequently enough, substantially reduces or even eliminates the time-varying amplifier offset that is otherwise the predominant 1/f noise contributor (i.e., lowering f_(C) to less than 10 Hz or even less than 1 Hz and thus effecting type III oscillator operation). FIG. 3 illustrates the ϕ1, ϕ2 signal assertion overlaid with the resonator output, demonstrating the synchronous nature of the auto-zeroing operation in the FIG. 2 embodiment. That is, auto-zeroing is synchronized with resonator oscillation to ensure amplifier operation during zero crossings and the predominant drive interval (while the resonator has moved to the drive-electrode side of the neutral position) and to auto-zero the amplifier (zeroing or neutralizing the DC offset) during a portion of the resonator cycle outside the predominant drive interval and between zero crossings.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative implementation of a synchronous auto-zeroing sustaining amplifier, in this case having a capacitor C2 placed in the feedback path between amplifier output and input. In this integrating amplifier approach (capacitor C2 is charged and discharged by the inverter output during successive half-cycles of the resonator), the capacitance ratio between input capacitor C1 and integrating capacitor C2 (i.e., C2/C1) sets the amplifier gain. In addition to permitting potentially higher or precisely controlled gain than the embodiment of FIG. 2, the feedback capacitor may be implemented by a variable capacitance to provide for one-time or run-time programmable gain setting (e.g., by implementing the feedback capacitor with a switchably coupled branches of capacitance). Though not specifically shown, a zero-crossing detector may be coupled to/included as part of the auto-zeroing amplifier of FIG. 4 in the manner shown in FIG. 2, operating to produce control signals ϕ1 and ϕ2 generally as shown in FIG. 3.

The synchronous auto-zeroing amplifiers of FIGS. 2 and 4 are characterized by temporary disruption (disabling) of the amplifier output during the autozeroing interval. While this interval is shown to occur once per resonator cycle in FIG. 3, less-frequent auto-zeroing operations may be carried out—generally with any regularity sufficient to track and substantially zero the time-varying offset between input and output of the amplifier component. Moreover, to avoid or limit spurs in the spectral output of the oscillator, randomizing (or pseudo-randomizing) circuitry such as a pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) generator or delta-sigma modulator may be provided to trigger auto-zeroing operation once per desired interval but at a random time within that interval (or at random intervals).

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative approach in which parallel inverting amplifiers are operated in pipelined (or parallel) fashion to provide a seamless or relatively seamless output (i.e., no temporary disruption during auto-zeroing). More specifically, two synchronous auto-zeroing amplifiers (or amplifier “stripes” 301 and 303) are coupled in parallel between input and output nodes and operated in complementary fashion—one auto-zeroing amplifier alternating between amplifier-output and auto-zeroing operation while the other auto-zeroing amplifier alternates between those operations in time-staggered order, auto-zeroing while the first amplifier generates an output and generating an amplified output while the first amplifier auto-zeroes. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary zero-crossing waveform showing the balanced switching of the ϕ1 and ϕ2 control signals. As can be seen the two signals are applied alternately within the two auto-zeroing amplifiers with ϕ1 asserted to configure amplifier stripe 301 for amplifier output and to configure stripe 303 for auto-zeroing, and ϕ2 asserted to produce the reverse configuration (stripe 301 auto-zero, stripe 303 amplifier output).

It should be noted that the various circuits disclosed herein may be described using computer aided design tools and expressed (or represented), as data and/or instructions embodied in various computer-readable media, in terms of their behavioral, register transfer, logic component, transistor, layout geometries, and/or other characteristics. Formats of files and other objects in which such circuit expressions may be implemented include, but are not limited to, formats supporting behavioral languages such as C, Verilog, and VHDL, formats supporting register level description languages like RTL, and formats supporting geometry description languages such as GDSII, GDSIII, GDSIV, CIF, MEBES and any other suitable formats and languages. Computer-readable media in which such formatted data and/or instructions may be embodied include, but are not limited to, computer storage media in various forms (e.g., optical, magnetic or semiconductor storage media, whether independently distributed in that manner, or stored “in situ” in an operating system).

When received within a computer system via one or more computer-readable media, such data and/or instruction-based expressions of the above described circuits can be processed by a processing entity (e.g., one or more processors) within the computer system in conjunction with execution of one or more other computer programs including, without limitation, net-list generation programs, place and route programs and the like, to generate a representation or image of a physical manifestation of such circuits. Such representation or image can thereafter be used in device fabrication, for example, by enabling generation of one or more masks that are used to form various components of the circuits in a device fabrication process.

In the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings, specific terminology and drawing symbols have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. In some instances, the terminology and symbols may imply specific details that are not required to practice those embodiments. For example, any of the specific voltages, signal path widths, signaling or operating frequencies, component circuits or devices and the like can be different from those described above in alternative embodiments. A signal driving circuit is said to “output” a signal to a signal receiving circuit when the signal driving circuit asserts (or de-asserts, if explicitly stated or indicated by context) the signal on a signal line coupled between the signal driving and signal receiving circuits. The term “coupled” is used herein to express a direct connection as well as a connection through one or more intervening circuits or structures. The terms “exemplary” and “embodiment” are used to express an example, not a preference or requirement. Also, the terms “may” and “can” are used interchangeably to denote optional (permissible) subject matter. The absence of either term should not be construed as meaning that a given feature or technique is required.

Various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments presented herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure. For example, features or aspects of any of the embodiments can be applied in combination with any other of the embodiments or in place of counterpart features or aspects thereof. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

It should be understood that the amplifiers described here are exemplary, and various detailed auto-zero amplifier embodiments are known in the art. Various oscillator topologies are also known in the art. One core invention described herein is to apply an auto-zero amplifier, whether of a presently known or unknown design, switched in a synchronous manner, to decrease the 1/f corner of the amplifier and thereby decrease the phase noise of the oscillator to a lower value than it would be without a switched amplifier. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An oscillator comprising: a resonator; a sustaining amplifier circuit to receive a sense signal indicative of mechanically resonant motion of the resonator and to generate an amplified output signal in response to the sense signal; and a detector circuit to assert, at a predetermined phase of the amplified output signal, one or more control signals that enable an offset-reducing operation to reduce 1/f noise in the sustaining amplifier circuit; wherein the amplified output signal has a frequency that is a function of the mechanically resonant motion.
 2. The oscillator of claim 1 wherein the sustaining amplifier circuit comprises an input node coupled to receive the sense signal, an inverting amplifier having an input and an output and a capacitive element coupled between the input node and the input of the inverting amplifier.
 3. The oscillator of claim 2 further comprising: a first transistor switch coupled between the input of the inverting amplifier and a first voltage node; a second transistor switch coupled between the input of the inverting amplifier and the output of the inverting amplifier; and wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals that enable the offset-reducing operation with respect to the sustaining amplifier circuit comprises a first output to assert a first control signal that renders the first and second transistor switches into a conducting/closed state.
 4. The oscillator of claim 3 further comprising a third transistor switch coupled between the input node and the capacitive element, and wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals that enable the offset-reducing operation with respect to the sustaining amplifier circuit comprises a second output to deassert a second control signal at an input of the third transistor switch to render the third transistor switch into a non-conducting/open state during an interval in which the first and second transistor switches are in the conducting/closed state.
 5. The oscillator of claim 1 wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals at the predetermined phase of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry to assert the one or more control signals a first predetermined time after a zero-crossing of the amplified output signal.
 6. The oscillator of claim 5 wherein the circuitry to assert the one or more control signals a first predetermined time after the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry to detect the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal.
 7. The oscillator of claim 6 wherein the circuitry to assert the one or more control signals a first predetermined time after the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry deassert the one or more control signals signal a second predetermined time after the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal that precedes an ensuing zero-crossing of the amplified output signal.
 8. The oscillator of claim 1 wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals at the predetermined phase of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry to assert a first control signal and to deassert a second control signal and thereafter to deassert the first control signal and assert the second control signal to alternately enable offset-cancellation and amplifier operation within the sustaining amplifier circuit.
 9. A method of operation within a resonator-based oscillator, the method comprising: receiving, within a sustaining amplifier circuit, a sense signal indicative of mechanically resonant motion of the resonator; generating an amplified output signal in response to the sense signal; and enabling an offset-reducing operation to reduce 1/f noise in the sustaining amplifier circuit at a predetermined phase of the amplified output signal; wherein the amplified output signal has a frequency that is a function of the mechanically resonant motion.
 10. The oscillator of claim 1 wherein the resonator comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonator.
 11. The oscillator of claim 10 wherein the MEMS resonator is encapsulated within a chamber in a first die and wherein said sustaining amplifier circuit and said detector circuit are formed to be part of a second die.
 12. The oscillator circuit of claim 11 embodied as a package which contains both the first die and the second die.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein enabling comprises generating a control signal which asserts a state at the predetermined phase of the amplified output signal.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein enabling comprises detecting a zero crossing of the amplified output signal and controlling an enablement signal dependent on the detected zero crossing.
 15. A device comprising: a package mounting a first die and a second die; a resonator within the first die; a sustaining amplifier circuit and a detector circuit within the second die; wherein the sustaining amplifier circuit is coupled to the first die to receive a sense signal indicative of mechanically resonant motion of the resonator and to generate an amplified output signal in response to the sense signal; wherein the amplified output signal has a frequency that is a function of the mechanically resonant motion; and wherein the detector circuit is to assert, at a predetermined phase of the amplified output signal, one or more control signals that enable an offset-reducing operation to reduce 1/f noise in the sustaining amplifier circuit.
 16. The device of claim 15 wherein: the sustaining amplifier circuit comprises an input node coupled to receive the sense signal, an inverting amplifier having an input and an output and a capacitive element coupled between the input node and the input of the inverting amplifier; the device further comprises a first transistor switch coupled between the input of the inverting amplifier and a first voltage node, and a second transistor switch coupled between the input of the inverting amplifier and the output of the inverting amplifier; and the detector circuit is to assert the one or more control signals that enable the offset-reducing operation with respect to the sustaining amplifier circuit comprises a first output to assert a first control signal that renders the first and second transistor switches into a conducting/closed state.
 17. The device of claim 16 further comprising a third transistor switch coupled between the input node and the capacitive element, and wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals that enable the offset-reducing operation with respect to the sustaining amplifier circuit comprises a second output to deassert a second control signal at an input of the third transistor switch to render the third transistor switch into a non-conducting/open state during an interval in which the first and second transistor switches are in the conducting/closed state.
 18. The device of claim 15 wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals at the predetermined phase of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry to assert the one or more control signals a first predetermined time after a zero-crossing of the amplified output signal.
 19. The device of claim 15 wherein the circuitry to assert the one or more control signals a first predetermined time after the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry to detect the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal.
 20. The device of claim 16 wherein the circuitry to assert the one or more control signals a first predetermined time after the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry deassert the one or more control signals signal a second predetermined time after the zero-crossing of the amplified output signal that precedes an ensuing zero-crossing of the amplified output signal.
 21. The device of claim 15 wherein the detector circuit to assert the one or more control signals at the predetermined phase of the amplified output signal comprises circuitry to assert a first control signal and to deassert a second control signal and thereafter to deassert the first control signal and assert the second control signal to alternately enable offset-cancellation and amplifier operation within the sustaining amplifier circuit. 